Why do police almost always shoot to kill?
musicismylife78
Posts: 6,116
Ive long wondered why if there is a standoff between police and a shooter/killer, or even in more mundane cases of a suspect who has a weapon like a knife or something, why police shoot to kill as opposed to shooting to disarm/injure the suspect so they can arrest them? My hometown a few years ago had a case of police shooting to death a high schooler at his house, after he refused to put down the knife he had in his hands. This seemed outrageous to me for a number of reasons, the kid only had a knife. And there were multiple police officers with a barrage and array of various methods to subdue him. Pepper spray, batons, tear gas, stun guns, bean bag guns. The fact they chose to shoot and kill this teen as opposed to using any of these other methods, let alone, they could have merely rushed him and overpowered him and arrested him, the fact they chose the lethal method is symptomatic of the police force at large.
my problem with police, and it stems from many issues, is exemplified by cases like these. I would think, although it seems like this isnt the way they are taught, that you want the suspect disarmed so he cant hurt police/themselves/and or other people. I dont think anything is solved by shooting to kill a suspect. A suspect is in a standoff, and has a weapon, or a knife, or whatever, why not shoot for the leg, or foot, or arm or something? the person would be wounded, and you could likely run up and subdue the suspect/arrest them.
i think police do our country and the citizens it claims to protect and serve, by a policy of outright shoot to kill, no questions asked. its lethal and immoral.
I think the policy should be, if they shoot at all, if the police shoot at all, it should be to disarm and or injure in such cases. Its often puzzled me, with so many methods to subdue and harm suspects, why shooting bullets is always without exception the main method used.
my problem with police, and it stems from many issues, is exemplified by cases like these. I would think, although it seems like this isnt the way they are taught, that you want the suspect disarmed so he cant hurt police/themselves/and or other people. I dont think anything is solved by shooting to kill a suspect. A suspect is in a standoff, and has a weapon, or a knife, or whatever, why not shoot for the leg, or foot, or arm or something? the person would be wounded, and you could likely run up and subdue the suspect/arrest them.
i think police do our country and the citizens it claims to protect and serve, by a policy of outright shoot to kill, no questions asked. its lethal and immoral.
I think the policy should be, if they shoot at all, if the police shoot at all, it should be to disarm and or injure in such cases. Its often puzzled me, with so many methods to subdue and harm suspects, why shooting bullets is always without exception the main method used.
Post edited by Unknown User on
0
Comments
Key Arena - Nov 05, 2000
Gorge Amphitheater - Sep 01, 2005, Jul 22,23, 2006
Key Arena - Sept 21,22, 2009
Alpine Valley - Sept 3, 4 2011
i do have a problem with bad cops, and it seems their numbers rise on a daily basis.
I dont really think my tax money needs to go to police who shoot to kill. Thats not what i consider solid policing. Im a pacifist so thats my moral and ethical problem with it all.
In the case of my hometown example. boy refuses to put down knife so police shoot and kill him. Thats not good policing. They could have done any number of things to disarm and put him in custody. they chose to kill him. A teenage high schooler.
Bad police arent the exception. they are the rule. police are brutal by nature.
may be the case, but this rarely if ever happens. when was the last time you read of a standoff with police, or the police shooting a suspect and disarming him after they shot him in the shoulder. never happens because its never used
OK, so what happened, you get a ticket today? I've met plenty of nice cops and know a few cops. As with anything, you're going to have assholes and people who aren't assholes. There isn't a "rule" or "nature" that covers all of them. That's just silly.
Maybe you don't hear about it b/c it's protocol and it's not that big of a news story if the suspect doesn't die.
may be the case but i dont think its an excuse. as i said, im a pacifist. im against violence. i dont think anything has been solved by police ever killing a suspect.
its always been a shoot first ask questions later run organization.
beyond the mindless violence, its the disreguard for personal property and livelihood i have a problem with. when police kick down someones door and rifle through their belongings and trash their house, and THEY DONT find anything, do police ever spend time helping to clean up the room and or pay for a replacement door. the answer should be obvious.
youve been on this board awhile. my stance on issues like capitalism, greed,violence, police and war havent changed since i joined in 2003.
And its not like police are this paragon of good. the laundry list of past and current grievances people have against police is too long to detail here, but youve got curruption, taking drugs and money from suspects and not reporting it to superiors, the long and sordid racist and homophobic and sexist culture inside police departments nationwide including the collusion of the the KKK and the police in the south, racial profiling and outright murder in the cases of Amadou Dialo, and the rape of abner louima, Rodney King, false arrests, sketchy tactics in confession rooms, the whole mentality of shoot first ask questions later. And yeah its not all the police departments fault, its also the governments, state and local, and the beaurocracy of it all.
people legitimately can and do have numerous grievances against the Police.
This sucks ..
I just saw on the news today a 8th grader had a BB gun at school in Texas today was shot 3 times by two cops!!
Not only killing him but how is several rounds in a school hall considered a safe shot, just disgusting!!!!!!!!!!!
Well i might ask why don't you just put down the knife. They don't know what else this kid had on him. you dont poke a pitbull with a stick and then cry that you got bit.
I bet there have been a considerable number of lives saved by police b/c they shot someone and asked questions later.
There's plenty of shitty dirty cops, but there are also plenty that take whatever oaths they have to take to heart. I'm sure most probably fall somewhere in the middle much closer to the good side than the bad.
Abrn Hlls '98 - Clarkston 2 '03 - Grd Rpds '06 - Abrn Hlls '06 - Clvd '10 - PJ20 - Berlin 1+2 '12 - Wrigley '13 - Pitt '13- buff '13- Philly 1+2 '13 - Seattle '13
as i said, thats all relative, and it changes each time you ask a different person. A person from South Chicago and a person from The Hamptons is going to have completely different views on police, their tactics, their humanity and morals and ethics.
Can you police beverly hills the same way you police Compton? Come on man. Seriously? You expect peace officers to risk their own lives while trying to disarm someone who has ill intentions? Shoot the fuck and talk about it later.
If I am putting my life on the line everyday to protect people and the city, and someone threatens my life, you better fucking believe I am going to take care of business and make sure I get home safe.
+1
Exactly man. You can't hug a tweeked out methhead. He claims to be a pacifist so he will never understand a cop. Just be glad there are police. Because if there weren't you wouldn't be a pacifist for long.
Suppose you had a child at that school. Suppose it was a real gun. Suppose the cops killing that fucking idiot saved your child's life.. Are you still gonna sing that same song? I highly fucking doubt it..
Abrn Hlls '98 - Clarkston 2 '03 - Grd Rpds '06 - Abrn Hlls '06 - Clvd '10 - PJ20 - Berlin 1+2 '12 - Wrigley '13 - Pitt '13- buff '13- Philly 1+2 '13 - Seattle '13
Not to be a dick but you do realize that the police is the first form of protection that allows you the freedom to watch shows like the wire? Guess tomorrow we should eliminate all police squads...you can go buy a peace sign and some incense and hope for the best.
The Wire? Really dude? Yeah, I watched it, probably my favorite show ever, actually going through it for a second time right now. I would love to know what time you have spent in the hood to support these views.
And if you want to relate it to the wire, if I saw the shit they did on a daily basis, including a female colleague getting shot ruthlessly, you better fucking believe I would be trigger happy too.